Escalation issue 2

2010-10-21T12:15:28Z

86.152.159.166: /* Errors */

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[Escalation (IDW)|The Transformers: Escalation]]'' #2
|prev=Escalation issue 1
|next=Escalation issue 3
|image=Escalation 2a.jpg
|caption=That's Wheeljack and his crazy inventions.
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[December 20]], [[2006]]
|coverdate=December 2006
|written by=[[Simon Furman]]
|art by=[[E. J. Su]]
|colors by=[[Zac Atkinson]]
|letters by=[[Neil Uyetake]]
|edits by=[[Chris Ryall]] & [[Dan Taylor]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Escalation]]
}}

'''Having lost one of their own, the Autobots seek to recover him. But they find something they did not expect.'''

== Synopsis ==
Nine months before the events chronicled in ''[[Infiltration]]'', a senator of the [[United States]] government discussed stability in the Gulf with a US Army general during a stroll in [[Washington, D.C.]]—both were unaware that they were being observed by a black sports car.

Now, Optimus Prime, Jazz and Wheeljack speed along the I-57 as Ironhide briefs them about the ambush that claimed Sunstreaker and Hunter. Although the attack isn't out of pattern for the [[Decepticon]]s, Prime refuses to assume the [[Autobot]]s' enemies are behind it. Prime declines Ironhide's demand to attack the Decepticons and orders him to take Verity and Jimmy back to ''[[Ark-19]]'' while he, Jazz and Wheeljack leave to retrieve Sunstreaker's remains.

Thundercracker and Skywarp are flying over the desert and, at Megatron's command, destroy the El Jira Power Plant. With this action, Megatron intends to destabilize relations between human governments and cause chaos on Earth. He's also looking for a place to exercise his new exo-structure.

Heading back to the ship, Ironhide explains to Jimmy and Verity how Decepticon facsimiles work and what happens during Siege Mode, Phase Two.

Jazz and Wheeljack arrive at the impound lot, only to find Drake's team have beaten them to it, and burst in while the humans are loading Sunstreaker's remains onto a truck. Prepared for Autobot interference, the humans use their scramblers to distract the two Autobots while escaping. Jazz and Wheeljack manage to disable the devices and leave the impound building, just before it explodes. The escaping truck takes off with Sunstreaker's remains, but doesn't get far because Optimus Prime intercepts the truck (by stepping in front of it).

Back on ''Ark-19'', Ratchet looks over what's left of Sunstreaker and concludes that the material isn't the yellow Autobot; it's just a car. The Autobots reflect on who might be behind Sunstreaker and Hunter's kidnapping, and Prime expresses concern that the Autobots are too exposed to humanity.

Ironhide immediately notifies Verity and Jimmy that both Sunstreaker and Hunter may be alive, interrupting a news broadcast about Senator Alexander Holt, the senator under Transformer surveillance nine months before. That senator is now in play for the [[President of the United States|Presidency]], and arguing for US military intervention in the Gulf.
{{-}}

== Featured characters ==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (5)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (6)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (12)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (14)
|c2=
* [[Runabout]] (3)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (9)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (10)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (11)
|c3=
* Senator [[Alexander Holt]] (1)
* [[Jimmy Pink]] (7)
* [[Verity Carlo]] (8)
* [[Drake]] (13)
|h4=[[Facsimile construct|Facsimilies]]|c4=
* General [[Deacon]] (2)
}}

== Errors ==
* Ironhide refers to the replacement of Sunstreaker with fake wreckage as an "intricate slight of hand". He means "sleight" This error was corrected when the issue was published in trade paperback.
.
* Runabout is drawn with an Autobot symbol on his chest on page six.
* The list of covers on the interior back page misidentifies the issue as #1, rather than #2.
* When Verity flashes back to the human remains she discovered in [[Infiltration issue 4]], the corpse is wearing an Army uniform. In Infiltration he was wearing a Navy uniform. This is apparently so it now matches the uniform of General Deacon, who is influencing Senator Holt.

== Items of note ==
* The female anchor of the "[[T-SPAN]]" news program seen in the final panels of page 22 is identified as "[[Arcee Arthur]]".
* The "Decepticomments" page has readers' mail answered by [[Dan Taylor]] and an ad for [[Escalation issue 3|''Escalation'' #3]].

===Covers (4)===
* '''Cover A:''' Wheeljack attacked by the Machination; art by [[E. J. Su]].
* '''Cover B:''' Ratchet examines Sunstreaker's remains; art by [[Klaus Scherwinski]].
* '''Cover RI-A:''' cover A uncolored
* '''Cover RI-B:''' cover B uncolored
<gallery>
Image:Escalation 2a.jpg|IIIIIII HAAAAVE THE POOOWEEEERRRRR!!!
Image:Escalation 2b.jpg|Was Humpty Dumpty a yellow Lamborghini?
Image:Escalation 2ria.jpg|Cover RI-A
Image:Escalation 2rib.jpg|Cover RI-B
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[Infiltration]]'' TPB
* ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' 20th Anniversary Special Edition DVD
* ''[[Spotlight (comics)|Spotlight]]'' (first 5 issues)
* Transformers posters
* TPBs of ''Infiltration'', ''[[Stormbringer (comics)|Stormbringer]]'', ''[[The Gathering]]'', ''[[Prime Directive]]'', ''[[War and Peace]]'', and ''[[Generations (comic reprints)|Generations]]''
* ''Generations'' series
* Manga editions of ''Stormbringer'' and ''The Gathering''
* ''24: Nightfall'' comic
* [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] with Kung Fu Grip (back cover)

[[Category:IDW Generation 1 issues]]

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Escalation issue 2